How to Get Rid of a TV in Los Angeles

First: does it work?

A working flat panel from the last several years has value. It sells, it gets taken from a free listing, and reuse charities will sometimes accept one. Test it before you write it off — a set with a stuck input or a dead remote is not a dead television.

A working TV also has a second life in Los Angeles that other cities do not have quite as much of. Sets go to home studios, to garage gyms in the Valley, to converted-garage offices, and to production people who need a screen on a shelf. Post it with a photo of it switched on and a clear note about the stairs, and it can be gone in two days.

Retailer takeback when you buy the new one

Many electronics retailers will take the old set at delivery of the new one, and several run in-store takeback for smaller devices. It is arranged at purchase, not after, so ask at checkout.

The access caveat is the same as with appliances. A delivery crew works to a defined scope, and a third-floor walk-up in a Koreatown courtyard building is usually outside it. Ask specifically about stairs before delivery day.

E-waste drop-off

California handles televisions as electronic waste rather than as household trash, so a set should not go into a bin or a dumpster, and in most places it cannot simply be set at the curb for bulky pickup.

There is a network of collection sites and periodic collection events across Los Angeles County that accept household e-waste. Which of them are open, what they take and what limits they apply all change, so look up your own city's current e-waste or household hazardous waste page rather than driving on the strength of an address in an article.

For a 32-inch set that fits in the back seat, this is a fine option. For a 65-inch panel that does not fit in a car, it is not.

What pickup costs

Televisions are priced by screen size. Under 42 inches is $62. Between 42 and 65 inches is $68. Over 65 inches is $73. The entertainment center or TV stand underneath it is $96, and a large speaker system is $57.

A living room media corner cleared completely — the TV, the stand it sits on and the sound system — is $68 + $96 + $57 = $221. A bedroom set replaced on its own is $62. The visit minimum is $75, so a single small television bills at the minimum and most people add something else to the trip.

Carry-out from any floor, transport and routing to a certified e-waste processor are included. There is no e-waste surcharge and no stair charge.

The old heavy sets

If what you have is a CRT tube television or a rear-projection set, treat it as an appliance rather than as electronics. These weigh more than a washing machine, the weight sits high and forward, and the glass is on the side facing your shins.

They are still priced by screen size, which is generous given the weight, but they are a two-person carry every time. The ones still around Los Angeles are typically in a Valley garage or a back bedroom of a Pasadena or Eagle Rock bungalow, where they were retired in place fifteen years ago and never moved.

Wipe it before it leaves

Smart televisions hold accounts. Before the set goes anywhere, sign out of every streaming service and run a factory reset from the settings menu. It takes two minutes and it means the next person to power it on gets a blank television rather than your logins.

Do the same for any streaming stick or console going out with it, and pull anything with a drive if you would rather keep the drive.

Getting a big panel out of an LA building

Large flat panels are less heavy than old sets but far more fragile, and they do not tolerate being carried flat or leaned against a wall. Carry them vertically, one person on each side, and never rest the screen against anything.

The LA obstacles are the usual ones. Stairwells in 1920s courtyard buildings turn ninety degrees on a half-landing, which is a problem for a 75-inch panel's diagonal. Dingbats have an exterior stair and no elevator. Hillside houses in Silver Lake and Mount Washington have a public stair run between the front door and the street. Downtown, Century City and Marina del Rey high-rises have elevators but want a freight elevator reservation and a certificate of insurance first, which is worth requesting at booking rather than on the day.

The short version

Working set: sell it, give it away, or ask the retailer to take it at delivery. Small dead set and a free hour: take it to a collection site. Large dead set, any set above the first floor, or a set that is one of several things going out: $68 for a 42-to-65-inch panel, carried down from any floor with recycling included, is the option that does not involve your back.

Frequently asked questions